New Metallica album - what to expect

Metal Hammer have heard most of the pre-mastered version of the forthcoming, as yet untitled, Metallica album.

Is it St Anger? No.

Does it suck? Fuck no!

Are the solos back? Fuck yes!

There are no individual song titles for the ten track, 75 minute album, but it is being referred to as 'nine epics and one song'.

The Dads are alright!

Punks Not Dad recently played their second gig at the Barfly, Cardiff. Photos and a couple of videos are on the website, where you can also hear their new 50 quid E.P. 'Allen Key in the UK'.

The kids don't understand us,
They think we're full of sh*te
But we are The Dads,
AND THE DADS ARE ALRIGHT!

"They're really good. And they're really skiffle…"

In The Observer newspaper this week, Mark Kermode wrote of his 20-year love affair with the joy of skiffle and mentioned how he met Railroad Bill while travelling with his own band, the Railtown Bottlers:

On our travels we met up with other street skiffle acts like the terrific Railroad Bill, sharing tips on how to play the kazoo, and swapping carnival huckster spiel for working a busking crowd…

…'The real thing is on our site,' wrote Dan from Railroad Bill, and indeed it is. If you go to skiffle.co.uk you can see Railroad Bill ('Lonnie Donegan on speed') leaping around with tea-chest, washboard, saw, ukulele, kazoo and (in one instance) a ripping roll of Sellotape. They're really good. And they're really skiffle…

Check out their myspace page for tour dates and music.

New Heaven & Hell studio album in 2009

On Black-Sabbath.com there is news of Dio years Sabbath box set, called 'Rules of Hell'. But more interestingly:

Two years ago, Dio, Iommi and Butler and drummer Vinny Appice reunited to record a trio of new songs for Rhino’s Black Sabbath: The Dio Years before launching a highly anticipated and greatly acclaimed world tour under their new moniker Heaven & Hell. Revitalized by the reunion, the lineup is back in the studio now recording the first ever full-length studio album from Heaven & Hell, set to be released by Rhino in early 2009.

Sexiest Vegetarian Celebrity 2008

Vote for the World's Sexiest Vegetarian Celebrity at PETA UK.

Last year's winners were Russell Brand and Fiona Phillips, and this year, they compete again with other celebrity favourites like actor and vegan shoe designer Natalie Portman, Celebrity Big Brother contestant Traci Bingham, Coldplay frontman Chris Martin and Spiderman cutie Tobey Maguire.

I don't know about any of them, but Natalie Portman and Geezer Butler are getting my vote.

Lemmy: the movie

Metal Hammer - News Article:

Director/producers Greg Oliver and Wes Orshoski have revealed that they plan to make a movie of Lemmy's life.

The movie will be a documentary entitled, wait for it, Lemmy: The Movie and will feature testimonials from Dave Grohl, Alice Cooper, Steve Vai and WWE Superstar Triple H. A 2009 release date is expected.

What, no testimonial from Dave Brock?

Which Fantasy/SciFi Character Are You?

I stumbled across this on Morfablog just now. Nic was Wesley Crusher, but I'm not sure what else he had to say about. I clicked on the link anyway, and found myself taking the test:

Samwise Gamgee
A brave and loyal associate full of optimism, you remain true to your friends and their efforts, to whatever end.

But in the end, it's only a passing thing, this shadow. Even darkness must pass. A new day will come. And when the sun shines it will shine out the clearer.

Samwise is a character in the Middle-Earth universe. You can read more about him at TheOneRing.net.

I am quite happy with that, as it happens.